Arrangement for simultaneously or alternately operating a plurality of xenon high pressure lamps



Nov. 4, 1958 H. ULFFERS 2,859,387 ARRANGEMENT FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY OR ALTERNATELY OPERATING A PLURALITY OF XENON HIGH PRESSURE LAMPS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 26, 1955 llllJ l I I 1 Jzztorweys Nov. 4, 1958 ULFFERS H. ARRANGEMENT FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY OR ALTERNATELY OPERATING A PLURALITY 0F XENON HIGH PRESSURE LAMPS Filed May 26, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent ()fiice 2,859,387 Patented Nov. 4, 1958 ARRANGEMENT FOR SENIULTANEOUSLY OR ALTERNATELY OPERATING A PLURALITY OF XENON HIGH PRESSURE LAMPS Heinz Ulifers, Kiel-Wik, Germany, assignor to Zeiss Ikon A. G., Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany Application May 26, 1955, Serial No. 511,369 Claims priority, application Germany July 30, 1953 3 Claims. (Cl. 315-201) The invention relates to an arrangement for simultaneously or alternately operating a plurality of xenon high pressure lamps, and constitutes a continuation-inpart of my co-pending application Serial No. 446,538, filed July-29, 1954, now abandoned.

It is known that xenon high pressure lamps require a high voltage impulse of several thousand volts for their ignition in addition to the normal operating voltage, and such an impulse of high voltage is usually supplied by a special ignition device. In many motion picture or still picture projection systems, it is necessary to operate either simultaneously or alternately a plurality of xenon lamps which usually are arranged in a common lamp housing. Such is, for instance, the case when for motionpicture projection and for still-picture projection, a

separate lamp is provided, but in which both lamps may .be used alternately or for a short time also simultaneously. Since ignition devices require a considerable amount of space and switching means, their simplification is of great economic interest.

To place the ignition device simply in one of the supply leads of the lamp is not possible since, as tests have shown, in such a case only one lamp will be ignited and after ignition of this lamp the other lamp can subsequently not be put into operation.

It is an object of the invention to solve the above igni tion problem by providing a common ignition device for all lamps which device is selectively inserted into one of the supply leads of the lamp to be ignited, while the corresponding supply leads of all other lamps are directly connected to the line.

The accompanying drawing illustrates by way of example a practical embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 1 illustrates diagrammatically an arrangement for manually operating the switches which cause ignition and operation of the two lamps.

Fig. 2 illustrates diagrammatically an automatic operation of the two lamps, and

Fig. 3 illustrates a modification of the automatic circuit disclosed in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, two xenon high pressure lamps L and L are each connected with one of their respective poles to a separate supply circuit, for example, to the output terminals A and A of a conventional motion-picture rectifier A. R, and R are the respective regulating devices for the two circuits of said rectifier A. The other pole of each lamp is connected to the switch S and S respectively. The switch S effects the switchover of the ignition device Z to the desired lamp, while the other switch S connects the lamp not to be ignited directly to the line.

To explain the operation of the arrangement of this invention, it may be assumed that both lamps are in a not-ignited condition. The ignition device Z is connected by the switch S to the lamp L which lights up after the ignition device has been energized. The lamp L is directly connected to the source of current through the switch 3,. When subsequently also the lamp L shall be put into operation, then the switches S, and S are operated one after the other in such a manner that, in order to avoid an interruption of current in the burning lamp, the switch S, has already established the bridgingover of the burning lamp before switch S interrupts the current flow to lamp L The ignition device Z is now connected with lamp L so that this lamp can also be ignited. This operation of the switches S and S in timely succession is carried out suitably in an automatic manner, for example, by means of a delayed action contactor. Since the connection of the lamps is symmetrically arranged, it does not matter whether the one or the other of the two lamps is first put into operation.

According to the invention, the above switching operation may be performed automatically-for example, by coupling the switches S, and S to the action of the switches installed in the regulating devices R R so that no further operative manipulations have to be carried out besides connecting the respective regulator and eventually pressing the push-button for the ignition. If the lamp L, shall be put out of service after lamp L has been ignited, the switch S is either thrown into the opposite position or else it is at least momentarily disconnected -from its line leading to the lamp L Fig. 1 illustrates an arrangement in which the lamps L and L are operated in the desired manner manually by the switches S and S According to Fig. 2, however, the operation of the lamps takes place by employing the relays C K and C K K and K designate the windings of these relays.

In the rest position in which both relays are not energized, the ignition device Z is connected with the lamp L By depressing the push button K, the lamp L is ignited. It now the lamp L is also to be set in operation, the switch S is closed, which causes an energization of the relays C K and the lamp L is directly connected with the negative side of the supply lines and remains lit. The relays C K carries in addition to the switch C, also an auxiliary switch S, which is actuated simultaneously with the switch 0, and thereby causes an energization of the relays C K as soon as the auxiliary switch S is closed. A condenser C is aranged parallel to the relay winding K which results in the desired delay in the closing of the switch C so that a separation of the previously ignited lamp L, from the supply lines is prevented, before the switch C connects the bridging line which connects the lamp L, with the supply lines. Upon actuation of the push button K, the second lamp L is ignited.

The operation is completely automatic and one may start when the switch S is closed. The switches C and C and S, are then closed, i. e. the switch arms engage the lower switch contacts in Fig. 2. Upon actuationof the push button K, the lamp L is ignited first. If now the switch S is opened, the relays C K drops and therewith the switch S is opened also. This has the result that the ignited lamp L is connected with the supply lines and remains lit. The switch C is, however, automatically opened after a certain delay which is determined by the size of the condenser C arranged in parallel to the relay winding K Since the switches C and C are now in their rest position, as shown in Fig. 2, an actuation of the push button K will effect an ignition of the lamp L The control boxes of the conventional arc lamp rectifiers are provided with a regulating resistance which is used to adjust the premagnetizing current for the control chokes. The control boxes also contain a small toggle switch S and S respectively, which is arranged in series with the respective regulating resistance. In order to connect the switches C and C with the regulating resistance R, and R to connect the ignition device with the lamp to be ignited, it is sufiicient to connect the switch S with the toggle switch S in the control box Sch 2, as shown in Fig. 3. As soon as the toggle switch S in the control box Sch 1 is closed,

the lamp L is connected to the supply lines so that it may be ignited. Thereupon the toggle switch S in the control box Sch 2 is closed, and since this switch S is mechanically coupled with the switch S the latter is also closed so that the above mentioned connection from switch C to C takes place. In this manner the lamp L is also ready for operation. This circuit arrangement is, however, not reversible as described in connection with the arrangement shown in Fig. 2, and it is not possible to ignite first the lamp L and then the lamp L In all of the described circuit arrangements the disconnection of the lamps L and L takes place by interrupting the anode voltage, so that it is not necessary to provide any additional switches or the like in the 7 switching and control circuits.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the details of the foregoing example and that various changes of the arrangement shown and described are possible within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In an illuminating system comprising xenon high pressure lamps, an arrangement for selectively simultaneously and alternately operating said two xenon high pressure lamps including a source of alternating current supply, a rectifier having an input circuit connected to said source of alternating current supply and having two output circuits and two output lines connecting said output circuits separately to said two lamps, a common output line for both said output circuits of said rectifier, a single ignition device for both said lamps, said ignition device having an input circuit connected with said source of alternating current supply and having a high voltage output circuit with two output lines, a push button switch in said input circuit of said ignition device for momentarily energizing the latter, said common output line of said two output circuits of said rectifier being connected to one of the two output lines of said high voltage output circuit, two switch devices one in each one of said two output lines of said output circuits of said ignition device, and means respectively connecting said switch devices with said lamps and connecting said switch devices with one another to selectively permit a connection of either output line of said high voltage circuit with either one of said two lamps so that in one position of said switch devices one of said lamps is ignited and the other lamp is connected to its rectifier circuit without being ignited, while upon movement of said switch devices to another position the other lamp is ignited and the lamp previously ignited remains lit.

2. In an illuminating system comprising two xenon high pressure lamps, an arrangement for selectively simultaneously and alternately operating said two xenon high pressure lamps including a source of alternating current supply, a rectifier having an input circuit connected to said source of alternating current supply and having two output circuits and two output lines connecting said output circuits separately to said lamps, a common output line for both said output circuits-of said rectifier, a single ignition device for both said lamps, said ignition device having an input circuit connected with said source of alternating current supply andhaving a high voltage output circuit with two output lines, a push button switch in said input circuit of said ignition device for momentarily energizing the latter, said common output line of said tWo output circuits of said rectifier being connected to one of the two output lines of said high voltage output circuit, two switch devices, one in each one of said two output lines of said output circuits of said ignition device, and means respectively connecting said switch devices with said lamps and connecting said switch devices with one another to selectively permit a connection of either output line of said high voltage circuit with either one of said two lamps so that in one position of said switch devices one of said lamps is ignited and the other lamp is connected to its rectifier circuit without being ignited, while upon movement of said switch devices to another position the other lamp is ignited and the lamp previously ignited remains lit, said last mentioned lamp when lit being adapted to become extinguished by momentarily opening the switch device which caused the ignition of said other lamp.

3. An illuminating system according to claim 1, in cluding two relay windings, one for each of said switch devices which are arranged in the output lines of the output circuits of said ignition device, circuit means for energizing said relay windings by current supplied by said rectifier to operate said switch devices, and a normally open relay control switch in said last named circuit means, one of said relay windings having a condenser arranged in parallel thereto to delay the action of the switch device associated with said relay winding upon closing of said normally open relay control switch, thereby preventing the extinguishing of one lamp when the other lamp is to be lit.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,662,114 Hotchner Mar. 13, 1928 2,062,960 Barclay Dec. 1, 1936 2,309,525 Mohr Jan. 26, 1943 2,312,050 Place Feb. 23, 1943 2,691,755 Zirker Oct. 12, 1954 2,707,247 Anderson Apr. 26, 1955 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Certificate of Correction Patent N 0. 2,859,387 November 4, 1958 Heinz Ulfiers It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read corrected bele'w.

In the grant, lines 2 and 3, for assignor to Zeiss Ikon A. G., of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany, read assign0r to Zeiss Ikon A. G. Stuttgart, of Stuttgart, Germany,; line 11, for Zeiss Ikon A. G., its successors read Zeiss 111011 G. Stuttgart, its successors-; in the heading to the printed specification, lines 5 and 6, for assignor to Zeiss Ikon A. Gr., Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany, read assignor to Zeiss Ikon A. G. Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany-.

Signed and sealed this 28th day of April 1959.

Attest: T. B. MORROW, ROBERT C. WATSON, Attestz'ng Ofi'icer. Oommz'asz'oner of Patents.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Certificate of Correction Patent N 0. 2,859,387 November 4:, 1958 Heinz U'lfiers It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected belew.

In the grant, lines 2 and 3, for assignor to Zeiss Ikon A. G., of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany, read assign0r to Zeiss Ikon A. G. Stuttgart, of Stuttgart, Germany,-; line 11, for Zeiss Ikon A. G., its successors read -Zeiss Ikon A. G. Stuttgart, its successors-; in the heading to the printed specification, lines 5 and 6, for assignor to Zeiss Ikon A. G., Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany, read -assignor to Zeiss Ikon A. G. Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany-.

Signed and sealed this 28th day of April 1959.

Attest: T. B. MORROW, ROBERT C. WATSON, Attestz'ng Ofiaer. Oommz'ssz'oner of Patents. 

